Remember, ALL YOUR FORUM POSTS ARE PUBLIC
So you don't want to say anything which may turn off potential buyers.
My top tips for behaving professionally in the forum-
1) Don't be yourself. Frankly who you are just isn't good enough. The lampshade on the head act you pull at family parties is a non starter for a professional setting. You must pretend to be a good, kind, moral being whenever posting. If not, you may get labeled with such undesirable terms as 'bully' or a 'waste of pixels.' That can spell disaster for your shop.
2) Pat others on the back relentlessly. No one likes a forumista who doesn't congratulate others on milestones like, 'I just listed my 5th item' or 'I finally got on the list for a heart transplant.' Even if you don't mean it, you're expected to say it. So smear your teeth with some vaseline and get glad handing.
3) Be sure to read the forum TOU carefully. What are the TOU you say? I don't know. I've never read them. But suffice to say people will refer to them on a regular basis on threads ranging from 'spotted another reseller' to 'what color should my font be for best sales?'
4) Don't have a sense of humor. I know this is hard for some, myself included. But trust me, there are many people who won't know you are joking. I can't tell you how many folks I offended with the 'your shop looks like crap' critique thread I started (don't look for it. admin removed it for fear of lawsuits). So best to be straightforward as possible. If Oprah wouldn't joke about, neither should you.
5)Make sure you're clothed while using the Etsy forum. I don't know which sites you're frequenting before you visit Etsy or after. That's your personal business. Don't ask, don't tell as they say. But you will present a much more professional demeanor if you are dressed to impress when you sign in. You wouldn't show up naked to a b&m shop, so you shouldn't be nude on Etsy either.
6) And that brings me to my final point. There is a famous saying out there right now- What would Jesus do? I say we should use that as our guideline for forum decorum. I'll give you an example. Would Jesus laugh at the font you use? I doubt it. I mean, if he did, that's okay because he can get away with it. So my advice is, only do things that you can get away with.
I hope this has been some use to the community. We want to be as professional as possible in all our dealings. Act like you would were this a face to face marketplace. You can hide eye rolling and snickering in person by just doing it as the other person is walking away. But there's nowhere to hide online. Keep that in mind.
***Note, this thread was closed because of some stupid shenanigans near the end. But it may still be worth a read:
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6435485
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